Genius Ring Air Mouse 2 Review

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Wireless Mouse Final Thoughts

At the end of testing I would probably use the Ring Mouse 2 mainly for presentations as it is more discrete, and less distracting than using a mouse and provides you better control than having someone run your slides. The unit had great range. I also liked to be able to type, and also keep my hands relaxed when reading because I did not have to re-locate hands to carry out minor interface tasks. I did find it necessary to stabilize my hand against leg or on desk when I required more accuracy.

When I had to carry out many different hunt, point, click and drag tasks, it was too much to use the Ring Mouse 2, especially when time is an issue. That may not be fair because I only used the Ring Mouse 2 for three days although I did conduct about one hour of specific training, and about 14 hours of office work during that time.

Genius should look at Windows 8 functionality because it is very challenging to slide Windows 8 apps off the screen.

I am a fiddler – if I have something in my hands I tend to play with it. Due to the ring design I did not have the compulsion to play with the Ring Mouse 2, so I found it less distracting than a normal mouse during a presentation. I was unable to use the Genius Ring Mouse 2 on an aircraft due to the active transmissions from the unit. The Ring Mouse 2 was useful, and excelled in presentation and when surfing the net, but I would think that most people would still prefer their mouse or trackball for the majority of work tasks where speed and accuracy are crucial.

Genius Ring Mouse 2 Conclusion

In the presentation and web-browsing niche the Ring Mouse 2 was a solid performer. It also has a very good working range as you should rarely be outside 10 m from your computer. The major reason I would buy this mouse is that I can freely move about during a presentation and not have to move to a podium or coordinate with someone to change my slides. So, the very purpose, for me, is to discretely control the presentation, and not have attention drawn to the user interface. This is exactly what the Ring Mouse 2 does.

I found the Ring Mouse 2 to have a very nice appearance. I really like the graceful curves and gentle edges and the fact that it easily fits on your finger. The compact size makes it easy to carry around with you and when you are wearing it, it is small enough to feel like part of your hand after a short time. And yet it is big enough to use each of the functions quite easily.

The Ring Mouse 2 construction is very sturdy and it has a very clean, modern shape. I have put it in my pocket, carried in my backpack and really not taken too much care, but it looks as good as new and works just fine. It is very easy to position it on your finger so that you can use all of its functions, and yet move it slightly and you can actually type while wearing it.

There are a surprising number of functions provided by the Ring Mouse 2. It has: drag, scroll, point and click, right mouse, left mouse , and back/return functions. With a little practice you can carry out some sophisticated actions, well beyond your normal presentation remote control. I would not say that it would totally replace a mouse or other input device because, even with practice, it is harder to carry out fine selection actions, and the difference in time adds up quickly when you are trying to carry out your job.

The current price for the Ring Mouse 2 is around $40 (Amazon | Newegg), and I can see it as a valuable tool to have in your toolbox. If you are in the business of presenting to large audiences or even during sales demonstrations, the Ring Mouse 2 definitely has an advantage over the traditional mouse. You can move about and keep your audience focused on the presentation, and not on your input activities.

The Ring Mouse 2 was useful, and excelled in presentation and when surfing the net, but I would think that most people would still prefer their mouse or trackball for the majority of work tasks where speed and accuracy are crucial.

Pros:

+ Very good for presentations uses
+ Discrete control
+ Good Range
+ Battery life sufficient for most tasks
+ Lots of great functions on the Ring Mouse 2

Cons:

– Windows 8 Functionality lacking
– Too slow when doing many complicated cursor movement tasks
– Difficult for accurate point and click movements in high resolution scenarios
– Cannot use it on Aircraft